Sometimes I go overboard. Yes I really do. At the market, when I find an item that we like, I tend to get a big package of it simply because it was fresh, in season, or looked particularly good that day. You may think that this is not very economical, but believe me when you have to make less trips to the supermarket, you'll feel that your life is becoming a lot easier. My regular shopping trips for food are now reduced to once every two months, with some shorter trips to the store around the corner or the farmers' market for fresh fruit or salad. During these trips I usually get the basic staples, cleaning items and whatever I find appealing that day. I always end up with a lot of items, usually freezable, that I can use later on. I like to call them "my strategic reserve". They help me whip up a good meal in times when I did not go shopping for a while. Lately I noticed that our rate of consumption is slowing down. We started eating less, and I feel that my strategy has to change accordingly. But until then I have to think about the triple Polska kielbasa I bought during my last trip. I had used only one of them when I bought it, and now I still have 2 to go. You also have to know that it's my husband who usually goes out and get it, to have some with eggs on week-end brunch. But now that we have two of them in the fridge, he doesn't think of having eggs for breakfast anymore. The golden opportunity came today: after Thanksgiving's meal and its leftovers, we needed something new, something different. That's when my kielbasa comes in.
SAUSAGE PUDDING
I thought of this dish mainly because it can be considered as some kind of omelet, with all the ingredients already in it, even the bread. To be honest, I've seen many cooks make a sweet version of it on TV. The dessert version reminds me of a traditional Egyptian dessert that also uses a combination of milk and bread. But I am not that much into baking desserts, so I thought of making it savory. I thought all I needed was simply to add cheese and something salty to the basic recipe and be done. Well, it worked!! You'll need:
1 whole (14 oz) Polska kielbasa, cubed (I used turkey, but I guess any kind would be OK)
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups skim milk
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced, plus some sprigs of dill, chopped
2 tbsp frozen onion/garlic mixture
1 tbsp oil
4 eggs
6 cups Challa or brioche bread, in 1 inch cubes
1 to 1 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Parmigiano, but Cheddar would be OK, or a mix of both)
Salt and pepper
To cube the sausage, cut it in half, then cut each half in two, lengthwise. Cut it again lengthwise and then slice it. Cook the kielbasa in the tbsp oil, for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the celery and onion/garlic mixture. Keep cooking stirring often until slightly welted. Add the dill and stir for a couple of minutes more, then remove from heat. In a large bowl mix the eggs, the cream and milk. Sprinkle some salt and pepper (don't go overboard, the sausage and the cheese are salty enough). Add the bread cubes, fold in the sausage mixture and half of the cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and refrigerate,covered, for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the dish and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a salad.
No comments:
Post a Comment